Butterfly monoplane



March 10, 1931. I ADKINS 1,795,990

BUTTERFLY MONOPLA'NE.

Filed May 11 1929 IN VEN TOR. HEREEFT AUX/N5 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 1 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE HERBERT ADKINS, OF DANIA, FLORIDA BUTTERFLY MONOPLANE Application filed May 11, 1929. Serial No. 362,327.

to reduce to the minimum the possibility of accident while the machine is taking off or landing and the possibility of the accidental movement of the machine into such a position as to cause it to get into a tail spin or tail slide.

- The invention has for a further object to increase the supporting surface of the wing without increasing its span and in a manner to permit the machine to carry a heavier load in close proximity to its rudder.

The invention has for a further object to increase the supporting surface of the wing Without increasing its span and in a manner to permit the machine to can? a larger supply of fuel and to permit the uel tanks to be located at such a remote point from the engine as to reduc'e to the minimum the possibility of fire.

This invention has for a further object to increase the supporting surface of the wing without increasing its span and ina manner to permit the machine to take off and land more readily and in a shorter distance .and at a slower speed.

The invention has for a-further object to provide a fuselage which will have novel and conveniently arranged motor, fuel and passenger compartments.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a topplan View of my improved monoplane showing parts thereof broken away and in section:

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the monoplane, and v Figure 3 is a front elevation of the mono- I plane.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 designates the w1ng,2 the fuselage, and 3 the landing gear of the monoplane.

The wing 1, which. may be made from metal or other suitable material or materials, slopes downwardly from its tip toward the fuselage 2, and is of substantially arcuate formation in longitudinal section. The wing 1 com prises a central or body portion 4, a front portion 5, and a rear portion 6. The body portion 4 is of substantially rectangular contour in plan.- The front portion 5 is of substantially V-form in plan, and is located cenll trally between the tips of the wing and merges therewith to produce a stream line effect. The front portion 5 is upwardly and forwardly inclined as at 7, and its edges and thefront edge of the body portion 4 are formed 1' to provide leading edges 8 which curve rearwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center of the wing. Ailerons 9 are pivoted, as at 10, to the rear edge of the body portion 4 of the wing 1 at the sides thereof. The rear portion 6 is longer than the front portion 5, and it gradually decreases in width in the direction of its rear end. The ailerons 9 are located laterally beyond the front end of the rear portion 6, and the side edges of this portion are formed to provide trailing edges 11 which curve inwardly and rearwardly from the inner ends of the ailerons to points in close relation to and spaced equally from the longitudinal center of the wing.

A vertical rudder 12 is pivoted, as at 10*, and horizontal rudders or stabilizers 13 are pivoted, as at 14, to the rear end of the rear portion 6. These rudders or stabilizers carry with the trailing edges 11.

forwardly extending portions 15 which merge The fuselage 2 extends from the front to the rear end of the wing 1, and it may be made from metal or other suitable material or materials. It is provided at'its front end with a motor compartment 16, at its rear end with a fuel compartment 17, and between these compartments with a passenger and freight compartment pr cabin 18. A propeller 19 is journaled at the frontend of the fuselage 2.

cess to the tanks. The fuselage 2 is much 1 longer than the average fuselage as compared with the spread of the wing, and due thereto the fuel tanks 20 are located at such a distance from the motor as to reduce the danger of fire to the minimum. The cabin 18 is provided with a door 22 and seats 23. The seats 23 are arranged at opposite sides of the cabin 18 so as to provide a passageway 24, the right hand front seat being provided for the pilot and the remaining seats for passengers. \Vindows 25 are located in the sides of the fuselage in advance of the seats 28. A window 26 is arranged in front of the pilots seat, and it opens onto a passageway 27 extending forwardly and laterally therefrom. A door 28 separates the fuel compartment 17 and the cabin 18. The space in rear of the seats 23 may be used for the purpose of storing gear 3 may be of any Well knownconstruction. Shiftable controls will be provided for the motor, ailerons 9, rudder 12 and stabilizers 13.

The rearWardly extending portion 6 of the wing 1 reduces to the minimum the possibility of an accident while the machine is taking off or landing and the possibility of the accidental movement of the machine into a position which will cause it to get into a tail spin. This portion also permits the carrying of the fuel tanks and other heavy materials closer to the rudder 12 and stabilizers 13 than is possible with an equal degree of safety in any machine now in use. This portion and the front portion 5 increases the supporting surface wing without any increase in it's span, and provide a wing which is unusually stable and which permits the machine to be easily controlled while. in flight, easily and safely I landed and easily and safely brought up into the air from a comparatively short field. Furthermore, as these portions incease the supporting surface of the wing without increasing its span, the machine is capable of being sustained in flight with a greater load than is possible with any machine having a rectangular wing of similar span and an engine of similar power. The upward and forward inclination of the wing portion 5 materially facilitates the rising 'of the machine into the air during the take-off and facilitates landing at a relatively low rate of speed. The wing 1 can be braced front and rear by struts 29 and 30 which extend from the winginvention, together with the structure which I now consider to be the best embodiment. thereof, Iwish it understood that the strucfall Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1,. In a structure of the character described, a comparatively broad wing, which has a centrally arranged forwardly extending front portion of a substantially V-shape formation, the front portion being upwardly inclined and having itsedges merging in the front edges of the wing, the'tips of the wing being parallel to each other, the 'rear side edges of the wing converging to form a rear portion which is wider and longer than the front portion, thus altogether forming an efficient lifting wing, as and'for the purposes set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, a wing structure, a fuselage carried thereby, said fuselage having a central cabin, a passageway at the front of said cabin, a window between the cabin and the passageway, thus providing accommodations for the pilot, a motor compartment at the side of said first compartment and in front of the cabin, a fuel compartment at the rear of said cabin and a door between said cabin and fuel compartment, all as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

HERBERT ADKINS.

ture shown is merely illustrative, and that 

